In short
VoIP handsets for business are the devices people use on a VoIP phone system: desk phones, cordless DECT and Wi-Fi handsets, conference phones, headsets, softphone apps and adapters for analogue equipment. Choose by role first, then check each device is supported by your platform, whether that is 3CX, Microsoft Teams Phone, Webex Calling or Forever UC.
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Choose devices by role, not by model
Start with the people and places that need a phone, then pick the device type. Most organisations end up with a mix:
| Role or place | Device that usually fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Reception and switchboard | A mid-range or executive desk phone with an expansion module, plus a headset | Rows of busy lamp field (BLF) keys show who is free, so calls can be transferred in one press |
| Office staff on the phone all day | A VoIP desk phone with a headset port, or a softphone and headset | A physical handset and keys suit heavy callers; a softphone suits people who move between desks |
| Hybrid and home workers | A softphone app on a laptop and mobile, with a USB or Bluetooth headset | The same extension follows them, with no hardware to post or power |
| Staff who walk the site | A cordless DECT or Wi-Fi handset | Calls follow them around a warehouse, school, surgery or shop floor |
| Meeting rooms | A VoIP conference phone or a room system | Several microphones and a loud speaker pick up everyone round the table |
| Kitchens, lobbies and shared areas | An entry-level desk phone set up as a common area phone | A shared phone with its own extension, not tied to one person |
| Door entry, paging and older equipment | An analogue telephone adapter (ATA) or an IP door phone | Keeps analogue devices working on the new system |
Not sure who needs what? Our guide to softphone vs desk phone compares the two by role, and VoIP headsets covers the audio side.
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The main device types
- Desk phones: entry, mid-range and executive handsets that plug into the network, often powered by Power over Ethernet (PoE). See VoIP desk phones for business
- Cordless DECT phones: handsets that talk by radio to base stations on your network, so staff can roam a building. Our sister site covers VoIP DECT phones in depth
- Wi-Fi handsets: cordless phones that use your wireless network instead of DECT bases
- Conference phones and room systems: speakerphones for meeting rooms, from audio-only units to full video rooms. See VoIP conference phones
- Headsets: wired, USB, Bluetooth and DECT headsets for desk phones and softphones. See VoIP headsets
- Softphone apps: the phone system on a laptop, tablet or mobile, with no hardware at all
- Adapters: analogue telephone adapters that connect older phones, door entry and paging to a VoIP system. See VoIP adapters
For a wider look at handset types across cloud platforms, our sister site has a guide to VoIP phones for business.
VoIP handsets with Wi-Fi
Wireless handsets come in three forms, and each suits a different site:
| Option | How it connects | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Cordless DECT handset | By DECT radio to one or more base stations, which connect to your network | DECT uses its own radio band, separate from Wi-Fi, and multi-cell systems hand calls between bases as people walk |
| Wi-Fi handset | Over your wireless network, like a laptop | Works wherever the Wi-Fi is designed for voice, with good coverage and roaming between access points |
| Desk phone with built-in Wi-Fi | A normal desk phone that joins Wi-Fi instead of a cable | Useful where there is no network point; a cable is usually the steadier choice for voice |
3CX, Microsoft Teams Phone and Webex Calling all support wireless devices. Webex Calling lists Cisco IP DECT and Cisco Wi-Fi phones, Microsoft's SIP Gateway compatibility list includes IP DECT systems and Wi-Fi handsets, and 3CX's supported list includes DECT systems and portable Wi-Fi phones. If you choose Wi-Fi handsets, the wireless network has to be planned for voice; our sister site covers cloud-managed Wi-Fi built for it.
Need help choosing?
We will recommend what fits your organisation and explain why, in plain English.
Which handsets work with which platform
Every VoIP platform publishes the devices it supports, and buying from that list is what makes set-up, updates and support straightforward:
| Platform | Supported devices | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| 3CX | A published list of supported IP phones, with Fanvil, Snom and Yealink as 3CX's preferred makers, plus DECT systems, door phones, conference phones, tested headsets and ATAs | 3CX provisions listed phones from the system. Phones it marks as supported with limitations can be used if you already have them, but 3CX advises against buying them new or second hand |
| Microsoft Teams Phone | Devices Certified for Microsoft Teams: desk phones, common area phones, conference phones, displays and headsets | Microsoft's SIP Gateway also lets compatible SIP phones, IP DECT systems and ATAs sign in to Teams; each user needs a phone number with PSTN calling enabled |
| Webex Calling | Cisco IP phones with multiplatform firmware, Cisco desk phones, IP DECT, Wi-Fi and conference phones, ATAs, and Cisco Board, Room and Desk devices | Listed third-party devices, including Yealink and Poly phones, can be used with approval from your Cisco account manager; Cisco devices are managed in Control Hub |
| Forever UC | Apps for iOS, Android, Windows and Mac, with desk phones as an option | App-first, so many users need no hardware at all |
| Forever Teams | The Teams app, with Teams-compatible desk phones as an option | No hardware is needed to start, and desk phones can be added where they help |
Microsoft keeps the full range of Teams devices on its certified list; our sister site describes Teams certified phones and the licence shared phones need.
Are VoIP phones any good?
Yes, and a current business VoIP phone is often clearer than the analogue handset it replaces. Most support wideband codecs such as G.722, often marketed as HD voice, which carries more of the range of the human voice than a traditional phone line. They also add things an analogue phone cannot: a directory, call history, busy lamp keys, voicemail on screen, headset ports and, on some models, video.
What decides how good a VoIP phone sounds is mostly the network under it. Delay, jitter and packet loss on the connection are heard as gaps and choppy audio, whatever the handset. That is why we can check your VoIP requirements and VoIP QoS settings before go-live, and why our VoIP call quality guide starts with the network rather than the phone.
Keeping the phones you already have
You may not need to replace every handset. Whether existing phones can move depends on how they talk to a phone system:
- Standard SIP phones that their maker still supports may work on the new platform if they appear on its supported list. 3CX keeps a list of phones it supports with limitations for exactly this case, and Microsoft's SIP Gateway accepts compatible SIP devices
- Cisco multiplatform phones can register to Webex Calling, and Cisco IP phones with multiplatform SIP firmware are among the devices Microsoft lists for SIP Gateway
- Handsets built for one maker's phone system usually use that maker's own protocol and stay tied to it. If you want to keep them, keeping the phone system on SIP trunks may be the better route; see ISDN to VoIP
- Analogue phones can carry on through an analogue telephone adapter
Older phones that no longer receive firmware updates are worth replacing. The NCSC's PBX best practice includes patching VoIP phone firmware, and our VoIP security page explains why.
How VoIP phones are set up and managed
Supported phones are usually provisioned from the phone system, so a new handset pulls its user, line keys and settings when it is plugged in. That makes moves, replacements and new starters quick:
- 3CX provisions phones on its supported list from the 3CX system. 3CX notes that some models can also act as a router phone for a limited number of other phones
- Teams-certified phones are managed in the Teams admin centre, where admins can update software and firmware, assign configuration profiles and see device health
- Webex Calling devices are added and managed in Control Hub
- Forever UC apps are set up for each user, and optional desk phones are configured to match
Phones need power and a network that gives voice priority. Most desk phones take Power over Ethernet from the network switch, often with a voice VLAN; put the switch on a UPS if phones must keep working in a power cut. Our sister site covers cloud-managed switches with PoE, and VoIP phone system installation shows where provisioning fits in the project.
Buying VoIP handsets
VoIP desk, cordless and conference handsets can be bought outright or, in some cases, included in your monthly rental, with the options confirmed at quote. Many users need only a softphone app and a good headset, so we can size the hardware to the roles that need it rather than putting a phone on every desk.
To recommend devices, it helps to know:
- How many people work at reception, at desks, around the site and from home.
- How many meeting rooms you have, and roughly how many people each one seats.
- Which platform you use or are considering, and any handsets you hope to keep.
- Whether your network switches provide PoE, and whether there is Wi-Fi where cordless users work.
- Any analogue devices, such as door entry, paging or franking machines.
Contact us with what you know and we can match devices to your people and your platform. Handsets are part of the wider VoIP phone system cost, which covers licences, calls and set-up too.
Explore VoIP handsets and devices
How Forever Systems helps you choose a VoIP phone system
We supply and support several VoIP platforms, so we can recommend the one that fits how your team takes calls rather than fitting your business around one product.
- Platform advice across hosted 3CX, Microsoft Teams Phone, Webex Calling, Forever UC and Forever Teams, with SIP trunks for phone systems you already own
- A requirements check of your broadband, network and routers before anything goes live
- Numbers and porting: we can help you keep your existing business numbers and plan the move away from analogue and ISDN lines
- Handsets and headsets that suit each platform, bought outright or, in some cases, included in your monthly rental, with the options confirmed at quote
- Set-up and changes: call flows, users and devices configured for you, and help with moves, adds and changes afterwards
- For BT Cloud Voice, see our sister site cloudvoice.cloud, and for hosted and cloud platforms in depth, cloudphone.cloud
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations.
Frequently asked questions
What handsets work with a VoIP phone system?
IP desk phones, cordless DECT and Wi-Fi handsets, conference phones, headsets and softphone apps all work with VoIP, as long as the device is supported by your platform. 3CX, Microsoft Teams Phone and Webex Calling each publish lists of supported or certified devices.
Are VoIP phones any good?
Yes. Most business VoIP phones support wideband audio such as G.722, plus directories, busy lamp keys and headset ports. Call quality depends mainly on the network, so a good connection, quality of service and a sensible network design matter more than the handset.
Can I use my existing phones with VoIP?
Sometimes. Standard SIP phones still supported by their maker may work if they are on the new platform's list, and compatible SIP phones can sign in to Teams through Microsoft's SIP Gateway. Handsets built for one maker's phone system usually cannot move. Analogue phones can connect through an adapter.
Do I need a desk phone for every user?
No. Softphone apps on laptops and mobiles give users the same number and features, and many organisations keep desk phones for reception, heavy phone users and shared areas only.
Are there VoIP handsets with Wi-Fi?
Yes. There are Wi-Fi handsets that roam your wireless network, desk phones with built-in Wi-Fi, and cordless DECT handsets that use their own radio band. Wi-Fi handsets need a wireless network planned for voice.
Can VoIP handsets be included in the monthly cost?
VoIP desk, cordless and conference handsets can be bought outright or, in some cases, included in your monthly rental. The options depend on the platform and devices, and are confirmed at quote.
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